1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to cellular telephone network data transmission, specifically to a method of scheduling packet data transmission for a connectionless packet service.
2. Prior Art
Packet data communication is known in cellular telephone systems, as is evidenced by, for example, commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,257,257, issued Oct. 26, 1993, entitled “Method of Controlling the Operation of a Packet Switched CDMA Communication Network for Controlling the Operation of Transmitters and Receivers”, by X. H. Chen and J. Oksman.
One further example is defined in TIA/EIA/IS-657, Packet Data Service Option for Wideband Spread Spectrum Cellular System. IS-657 is used along with TIA/EIA/IS-95A, Mobile Station-Base Station Compatibility Standard for Dual-Mode Wideband Spread Spectrum Cellular System, and, TIA/EIA/IS-99 Data Services Option Standard for Wideband Spread Spectrum Digital Cellular System. The current IS-657 based packet data scheme for code division multiple access (CDMA) does not allow the traffic channel to be shared between more than one user. The IS-657 scheme is based on a make-and-break of multiple traffic channel connections during the life of a packet data session. In the worst case, a packet may suffer a call set-up delay which can range from tens of milliseconds to a few seconds. Also, it is possible for a mobile station (MS) to transmit idle (eighth rate) frames for a user defined time if there are no packets to send. This results in wasted bandwidth, especially in high-speed data systems, because the traffic channel capacity is reserved for this user and cannot be utilized by any other user. Thus, an access scheme that allows two or more users to share traffic channels, and allows the network to control the packet delay is needed.
In connection-less packet data transmission in mobile communication systems, discrete packets are transmitted on a packet-basis, that is, no dedicated end-to-end connection is set up. Sharing of traffic channels in connection-less packet data transmission has generally been supported via random access or random reservation media access control (MAC) protocols. Under these MAC protocols, multiple mobile stations compete for traffic channels in order to receive packet data service from a base station (BS). The number of available traffic channels for packet service within a cell is defined by the BS.
Random reservation protocols are generally believed to offer high channel utilization. However, in a CDMA based system that is approaching the system's maximum capacity, random access attempts are more likely to be unsuccessful due to higher interference levels. Thus, as a cell approaches its maximum capacity of available traffic channels, multiple MSs compete for fewer and fewer available traffic channels. This normally leads to even further access attempts by the MSs. Often, the random attempts themselves increase the communications load in the cell and reduce traffic channel capacity.